Welcome...
| Welcome to the 871 (Penn) Squadron Website |
| A welcome from the commanding officer:  "I am very pleased to welcome you to the 871 (Penn) Squadron website. It's in constant development so please check back regularly for updates and changes, as well as news on all recent squadron activities.The Air Training Corps is a military youth organisation for young people aged 13 to 20. It is varied, occasionally demanding but, above all, fun! The activities we provide run from flying to shooting to fieldcraft (see the about us page) and the teamwork and camaraderie that is so much a part of ATC life often results in lifelong friendships. We think it's the best way for young people to expand their horizons and learn skills that will stand them in good stead for the future. In recent years, the squadron has progressed significantly and we are aiming to develop still further. With around thirty young men and women currently on the squadron strength, and with some notable achievements in recent times, 871 (Penn) Squadron is in the ascendency. 871 (Penn) Squadron is still recruiting. Please feel free to contact us or to peruse the website for more information. Thanks for visiting!" Flight Lieutenant B E Shepherd SBStJ RAFVR(T) Officer Commanding 871 (Penn) Squadron is in the Herts & Bucks Wing of the Air Training Corps. |
Upcoming Events
AVIATION DAY 2009
PENN IN THE TOP THREE AGAIN!!
Sunday 28th June was the day that 871 (Penn) Squadron deployed en masse to RAF Halton in order to defend its Aviation Day crown!
The Harrier Trophy was again up for grabs as all thirty units in Herts and Bucks Wing tried to land the presigious title of Aviation Day winners 2009. With individual competitions in Drill, Radio, Model Flying, Scale Modelling, Aircraft Recognition, Photography, Helicopter Flying, Round the Pole Flying, Media and Music, the Aviation Day title is not an easy one to win and is, as 871 found out, even harder to retain!
As unexpected winners in 2008 (unexpected to certain other squadrons, that is!) 871 (Penn) Squadron set out to ensure that the wing were under no illusions that this, and other notable recent successes, were no mere stroke of luck.
Every cadet again performed brilliantly and, despite the arduous nature of such a diverse competition, 871 Squadron came away with a superb 3rd Overall. Along the way, the unit managed some excellent performances in individual competitions coming 3rd in the Model Flying, 3rd in the Photgraphy competition and 2nd in the Scale Modelling. These, along with creditable results in other categories, all added up to a fantastic and well deserved 3rd place overall.
The eventual winners, 1066 (Hitchin) Squadron, had previously won the title in 2007.
Flight Lieutenant Brett Shepherd, officer commanding 871 (Penn) Squadron, had this to say about the day "I was extremely proud of the whole squadron today. To come 3rd in this prestigious event is a fantastic achievement that every cadet should be really pleased with." He added "to me, this was a robust and impressive defence of last years title. And the fact that we are sandwiched between two Hitchin victories, surely means that it's our turn again next year!"
Picture Caption: 1) The 871 (Penn) Squadron team for Aviation Day 2009
General Info. | 04/07/09 : 02:56 | by Flt Lt Shepherd | 
Comments: 0 | 
VICTIMS OF THE GREAT WAR REMEMBERED
PENN AND TYLERS GREEN HEROES CELEBRATED
Sunday the 28th June saw the villages of Penn and Tylers Green come together to celebrate the reinauguration of a touching memorial to their fallen of the Great War.
The two villages lost a total of 30 of their young men during World War One, devastating the small, close knit communities.
In 1937, the people of the villages decided to plant a tree for each of their heroes, marking each with a memorial plaque. Many of the trees flourished during the intervening years, but time took its toll on a number of them. Most of the plaques were lost, a few of the trees were lost to storms and mindless vandalism also unfortunately caused a number of problems.
And so over the past few months, the Royal British Legion, Chepping Wycombe District Council, Penn and Tylers Green Residents Association, the Western Front Association and the Chiltern Special Trees and Woods Project formed a group to replace both the missing trees and their memorial plaques.
The long project was not without its issues. Vandalism of the replacement saplings and the removal of one or two of the new plaques meant that the memorial took longer than planned to come to fruition. Eventually though, the hard work and dedication of the volunteers paid off and the memorial trees, a fitting tribute to the fallen of the two villages, were again back in their rightful place and marked appropriately for all to see.
And so on Sunday 28th June, Geoff Jones, the chairman of the local branch of the Royal British Legion, led a ceremonial rededication of the memorial for the whole community.
The Earl Howe, together with Jenny Hopkirk DL, the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, made speeches praising the work of the volunteers and giving thanks for the sacrifices of those who died in the Great War. It was a fitting tribute and the Rev'd Jeff Pierce then led the assembled company in a moving act of remembrance and rededication.
In addition to a large crowd of local people, each of the cadet forces was proudly represented at the event - some of the assembled cadets being only a year or so younger than the heroes who were being honoured by the memorial.
Flight Lieutenant Brett Shepherd, who attended the event and laid a wreath on behalf of the Air Training Corps and the RAF, said "this was a very moving ceremony, with the people of two villages making the effort to attend the rededication and pay tribute to their fallen heroes. The age of some of those being remembered brings into sharp focus just how lucky we are and just how expensive was the peace that we now enjoy."
Picture Captions: 1) Cpl Andrew Innes parades the Squadron Banner alongside those of the Royal British Legion and other veterans organisations. 2) Flt Lt Shepherd walks with a relative of one of the fallen after laying their wreaths.
General Info. | 04/07/09 : 01:01 | by Flt Lt Shepherd | Comments: 0 |
PENN AND TYLERS GREEN FUN RUN WEEKEND 2009
PENN HAVE FUN RUNNING!
Sunday 7th June saw 871 (Penn) Squadron out in the community once again - on this occasion showing their mettle by taking part in the 26th annual Penn and Tylers Green Fun Run Weekend. The charity event, which sees races over seven miles and three miles, was this year in aid of the Thomas Ball Childrens Cancer Fund, which provides relief from sickness and distress among children suffering from cancer and assistance for their families.
Eight cadets from the squadron formed a team for the three mile event and performed extremely creditably, crossing the line together in a time of just over 33 minutes.
Despite very inclement weather on the morning of the event, the run itself was carried out in blazing sunshine and high temperatures making the race slightly more arduous than it might otherwise have been. Despite this, the team came home in high spirits, happy to have completed the course in good time.
Squadron Commanding Officer, Flight Lieutenant Brett Shepherd, said "this was the first time that 871 have taken part in the Fun Run Weekend and it's an experience that we have much enjoyed." He went on, "this kind of event is fantastic for bringing the community together and, as an integral part of that community, it's important for the squadron to be there in order to represent the Air Cadet Organisation and to demonstrate our support for charity events like these."
The 871 (Penn) Squadron team for this event was Cpl Findlow, Cdt Singleton, Cdt Burgess, Cdt Squire, Cdt Allbut, Cdt Cruickshank, Cdt Turner and Cdt Astley.
General Info. | 07/06/09 : 18:33 | by Flt Lt Shepherd | Comments: 0 |
LONGMOOR 2009
TOP TEN FOR PENN!
So this years Longmoor Wing Exercise has been and gone. The weeks of preparation by every squadron in the wing resulted in one of the best competitions of recent years and every one of the three hundred cadets who gathered at the Longmoor training area should be proud of their achievements.
As far as Penn are concerned, the weekend resulted in a top ten finish and was, without doubt, the squadrons best performance in many years. The effort and attitude of every member of the team was absolutely superb from beginning to end and some fantastic results in individual events helped to cement the fantastic finish. Even more valuable, perhaps, than the top ten placing, came a belief that the next couple of years could be even better. CWO Cecil, who is in his last year with the squadron, has played a key role in developing the team in recent years and can be confident that he is leaving behind a team of cadets who are very capable of winning the Longmoor competition.
This years team was led by FS Forshaw-Singh who did a fantastic job, in his first year in command, of managing his cadets and ensuring that the best possible team was selected for each element of the competition. The blistering heat made each event a real test of courage and determination and every ounce of FS Forshaw-Singh's motivational qualities were required in order to draw the best performance from each team member. As usual, the mix of events included First-Aid, a log run, command tasks, a ropes exercise, a comms exercise, four shooting competitions (.22 barrack 
range, .22 indoor range, L98 gallery range and the DCCT,) a 4km speed march, an orienteering competition and, of course, the gruelling assault course.
Flight Lieutenant Shepherd, the squadron commanding officer, said "This year I was immensely priviliged to witness a quite superb performance by the 871 team." He went on, "the heat made this years competition particularly difficult and yet every cadet in the team gave his or her all in the quest for this fantastic result. I was proud beyond measure of every single cadet in the team."
This years team comprised: FS Forshaw-Singh, CWO Cecil, Cpl Findlow, Cpl Bartlett, Cpl Denton, Cpl Carroll, Cdt Burgess, Cdt Calder, Cdt Bowles and Cdt Hill.
General Info. | 27/05/09 : 16:37 | by Flt Lt Shepherd | Comments: 0 |
Exam Results
At the Examinations on 29th April 2009, the following results were obtained:
LEADING CADET EXAM
The following cadets obtained a CREDIT:
Cdt ALLBUT
Cdt ASTLEY
Cdt HILL
Cdt HOW
The following cadets obtained a PASS:
Cdt BURGESS
Cdt INNES, J
Cdt KHAN
Cdt SQUIRE
SENIOR CADET/STAFF CADET PART ONE EXAM
The following cadets obtained a CREDIT:
Cdt CALDER
The following cadets obtained a PASS:
Cpl CARROLL
Cdt STOCKBRIDGE-HILL
Many congratulations to all those who passed!
Flt Lt Shepherd
General Info. | 27/05/09 : 16:36 | by Flt Lt Shepherd | Comments: 0 |
WING ATHLETICS SUCCESS
PENN WIN ATHLETICS SILVERWARE!
871 Squadron enjoyed a fantastic day of successful competition at the 2009 Wing Athletics event. Battling through significant bouts of inclement weather, the team joined others from across Herts and Bucks wing to fight it out for medals and trophies across many track and field events.
After the competition was concluded, it soon became clear that the 871 team had enjoyed its biggest success in recent years. Penn came away with armfuls of individual medals and the winners trophy in the Male Youth class.
This was, quite simply, a brilliant result for the squadron and a tribute to the organisational skill of team manager Flight Sergeant Catriona Boyd who, in her final year with the squadron, put together a quite superb team.
Squadron commanding officer, Flight Lieutenant Brett Shepherd said "This was a fantastic day - despite the abysmal weather! The team worked brilliantly for each other and the silverware was, in my estimation, just reward for a determined effort and some not inconsiderable individual performances. I couldn't be prouder of everyone that took part."
The squadron now has a platform on which to build for next years event - and hopefully more silverware to look forward to!
The successful team: Cdt Allbut, Cdt Bartlett, FS Boyd, Cdt Burgess, Cdt Calder, CWO Cecil, Cdt Clark, Cpl Denton, Cpl Findlow, FS Gavin, Cdt Hector, Cdt Hill, Cdt How, Cdt Innes.A, Cdt Innes.J, Cdt Singleton, Cdt Squire, Cdt Stockbridge-Hill, Cdt Teague, Cdt Wilson
General Info. | 17/05/09 : 21:14 | by Flt Lt Shepherd | Comments: 0 |
Hazlemere Sixes Recruitment Event
Remember this photo from last year?
Saturday 23rd May this year will be the day that the annual Hazlemere Sixes tournament is held. For this event last year 871 squadron held a recruitment stand as well as successfully selling programmes and directing cars for parking.
This year we plan to do the same. We are looking for as many cadets as possible (apart from those on the Longmoor team) to volunteer their Saturday morning to help with this event which was greatly received with thanks previously.
We shall sell our squadron and the Air Cadet Organisation to the public whilst increasing awareness of what we do and how we help the community with such like events.
So... what's in it for you?
Well as well as lots of free food from the burger van you WILL enjoy a sunny day out with many things to do and plenty of football to watch from ages 6 - 16 (recruit the older ones!) including both Male and Females.
Timings will be 0800 - 1400 (approximately) and it will be held at Hazlemere Recreation Ground.
If you would like to put your name forward please see CWO Cecil or alternatively you can subscribe to the calendar event above.
General Info. | 09/05/09 : 23:40 | by CWO Cecil | Comments: 0 |
Summer Ball Tickets
Tickets for this year's Summer Ball are NOW ON SALE!
The event will be held on Friday 10th July 2009 at Uplands Conference Centre, High Wycombe.
The dress is formal (ball gowns and dinner jackets / smart suits).
The evening is a chance for cadets, friends and parents to celebrate the success of the squadron as well as enjoy the BBQ and DJ! The evening will commence at 7:30pm and finish at midnight. There will also be an annual prizegiving ceremony.
Tickets are £18 for adults and £10 for cadets and their friends, they are currently on sale from CWO Cecil (webmaster@htjfc.org).
General Info. | 28/04/09 : 20:43 | by CWO Cecil | Comments: 0 |
Standard Camp Kit List
Not all Camp Commandant's issue an admin order and associated kit list - an example of this is the CC for the Easter Camp at RAF Kinloss. Clicking the link below will allow you to download a copy of a standard Kit List that we have used before on the camps at which I am staff.
Please use your discretion when utilising this list... it is unlikely that you will need coveralls at every camp for instance, nor does it mean that you can't go to camp just because you don't have two Wedgewood Shirts!
If you are unsure, please ask a member of staff or NCO for help.
STANDARD CAMP KIT LIST
Thanks,
Flt Lt Shepherd
General Info. | 08/04/09 : 12:25 | by Flt Lt Shepherd | Comments: 0 |
Promotion Boards
As discussed, the squadron will be holding a set of promotion board for both Junior and Senior NCO's in the near future.
This is a reminder of the criteria:
For appointment as a Junior NCO (Cadet Corporal) you must:
1) Be a Leading Cadet or above
2) Fully understand the role and duties of a JNCO
3) Have attended, or be prepared to attend at the next opportunity, a wing NCO course
4) Fully understand the principles of SMEAC and have applied them as a team leader
5) Have successfully run at least one Cadet night
6) Have a solid attendance record and expect this to remain the case
7) Be an active participant in squadron events
For appointment as a Senior NCO (Cadet Sergeant and above) you must:
1) Be a Senior Cadet or above
2) Fully understand the role and duties of an SNCO
3) Have attended, or be prepared to attend at the next opportunity, a wing NCO course
4) Be fully conversant with and have extensive experience of using SMEAC
5) Have successfully run several squadron events/training evenings
6) Be a proven organiser, by being active and successful in their area of squadron responsibility
7) Have a solid attendance record and expect this to remain the case
8) Be an active participant in squadron events
Your application letters should demonstrate these factors and should also explain what makes you an ideal candidate for the post.
If you have any questions, please ask myself or FS Page.
Thanks,
Flt Lt Shepherd
General Info. | 03/04/09 : 18:20 | by Flt Lt Shepherd | Comments: 0 |
